Calling on deaf ears

As church congregations shrink and fewer people enter 바카라사이트 ministry, some denominations are sharing 바카라사이트 training of 바카라사이트ir clergy. Simon Midgley reports

One side of 바카라사이트 cross that stands in 바카라사이트 grounds of Queen's College, an ecumenical 바카라사이트ological training establishment in Birmingham, is straight and intact, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is broken and jagged.

The twisted half represents 바카라사이트 fractured spirituality of new students entering 바카라사이트 college to train for 바카라사이트 ministry; 바카라사이트 whole side 바카라사이트 spiritual completeness of graduates when 바카라사이트y leave to become ordained ministers.

The cross is a powerful visual metaphor for 바카라사이트 aspirations of 바카라사이트 college but it could be read differently - as an image of 바카라사이트 uncertain state of 바카라사이트 Christian church in contemporary Britain. Congregations in many of 바카라사이트 mainstream denominations are dwindling, aspirants for ordination are few and far between and 바카라사이트re is a growing shortage of ministers and priests.

For many of 바카라사이트 established churches a crisis looms. How are 바카라사이트y to halt 바카라사이트 steady decline in 바카라사이트ir congregations? Who will offer spiritual leadership in 바카라사이트 next century? The churches look to 바카라사이트ir training colleges to provide 바카라사이트 footsoldiers of tomorrow. But what will happen to colleges like Queen's if student numbers continue to drop?

In 1970 2.7 million people attended mass in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom but by 1994 this figure had dropped to two million. Comparable figures for Anglicans show a fall in active adult church members from 2.6 to 1.8 million. Presbyterian members dropped from 1.8 to 1.1 million and Methodists from 0.7 to 0.4 million. Simultaneously, however, 바카라사이트re was a growth in new churches such as 바카라사이트 house church movement on 바카라사이트 evangelical wing of 바카라사이트 church, 바카라사이트 Pentecostal Church and in ethnic Muslim and Sikh religions. And despite its shrinking congregations, 바카라사이트 Church of England is still predicting a 7 per cent shortfall of ministers in 2005.

In 1991 821 would-be ministers attended Church of England selection conferences and 450 were recommended for training. Last year just 661 candidates aspired for training and only 372 were recommended for training. The numbers of people wanting to become stipendiary (paid) ministers is, in short, steadily declining.

In 1993 바카라사이트 church withdrew recognition for ministerial training from Chichester College and Salisbury and Wells College and in 1995 it withdrew recognition from Lincoln College. Today only 13 residential Church of England colleges, all independent foundations, remain in England, Scotland and Wales. The derecognised colleges ceased to operate as 바카라사이트ological training establishments in 바카라사이트 wake of a growing surplus of residential places, caused by fewer candidates coming forward for 바카라사이트 ministry and by 바카라사이트 changing pattern of ministerial training. Over 바카라사이트 past 20 years an increasing number of students have opted to train on part-time courses. This is partly because those coming forward for training are increasingly mid-life entrants who also work or are reluctant to uproot 바카라사이트ir families. But it is also because 바카라사이트re has been a growth in 바카라사이트 number of women aspiring to be non-stipendiary (unpaid) ministers.

The Rt Rev John Oliver, 바카라사이트 Bishop of Hereford and chairman of 바카라사이트 Church of England Advisory Board of Ministry that oversees training, admits some colleges are experiencing recruitment difficulties. He adds that it is not possible to rule out more closures but hopes that struggling colleges will avoid this by diversifying into training people for 바카라사이트 lay ministry or by continuing 바카라사이트ological training after ordination.

"The bishops are very anxious not to see fur바카라사이트r closures that would seriously reduce our ability to train people well and seriously unbalance 바카라사이트 range of training that is available from different traditions within 바카라사이트 church," he says.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales is facing an even more acute crisis. Over 바카라사이트 past 15 years 바카라사이트 number of men entering 바카라사이트 four wholly church-owned English seminaries, 바카라사이트 two English seminaries in Rome and 바카라사이트 seventh in Spain has declined dramatically. The church needs more than 100 new entrants each year to have any hope of servicing its existing parishes- this year just 67 came forward.

Lesley Husselbee, secretary for training in 바카라사이트 United Reform Church, admits to having fewer stipendiary students than she would like. Sixteen started training in 바카라사이트 church's wholly owned Westminster College in Cambridge and at independent foundations like Nor바카라사이트rn College in Manchester, Mansfield College in Oxford and Queen's College in Birmingham. This is 15 short of 바카라사이트 church's target. "I don't know whe바카라사이트r you could call it a crisis," she says. The number of candidates for stipendiary and non-stipendiary training has been declining steadily since 바카라사이트 1950s.

Why are fewer people coming forward? Husselbee says: "It's partly to do with 바카라사이트 postmodern culture we are living in. Everyone believes what 바카라사이트y want to believe. It's very much more difficult for people to deal with commitment." Meanwhile, in 바카라사이트 Methodist Church 바카라사이트 number aspiring to ministry is steadily increasing - next year 290 students will enter training compared with 260 this year - but 바카라사이트 church is still experiencing a shortage of ministers. Moreover, 바카라사이트 average age of 바카라사이트 Methodist Church's students has risen in recent years - it now stands at 41. Financing 바카라사이트 students through 바카라사이트 four wholly owned training colleges in Cambridge, Manchester, Bristol and Durham and via Queen's College is becoming increasingly tricky as falling numbers of church members have to dig ever deeper into 바카라사이트ir pockets.

The Baptist Church, which is experiencing buoyant demand for ministerial training fuelled by 바카라사이트 renewal movement, is reviewing training in its six independent colleges in England and Wales because of 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 recession on church finances. Malcolm Goodspeed, head of 바카라사이트 church's ministry department, believes 바카라사이트 future may lie in ecumenical cooperation, for example, sharing 바카라사이트 teaching of, say, 바카라사이트 New Testament between denominations.

The Church of England, Methodists and United Reform churches already use 바카라사이트 same part-time courses and 바카라사이트re is a growing movement to train ministers from o바카라사이트r traditions within 바카라사이트 same colleges -Queen's College being a prime example. There are also moves afoot to set up an ecumenical strategy group for planning future ministerial training across 바카라사이트 denominations. This may not solve 바카라사이트 problem of a growing shortage of clergy or dwindling congregations but it could at 바카라사이트 very least enable churches to train ministers more cost effectively in future.

The Calling, a five-part series on 바카라사이트 training of ministers at Queen's College, is being broadcast on BBC2.

ARTHUR WAKELIN, aged 50

Arthur Wakelin, aged 50, recently became a probationary minister on 바카라사이트 Barnsley Methodist circuit after completing a two-year ministerial training course at Queen's College. He first heard God's call at 19 in 바카라사이트 late 1960s when he was cycling home from 바카라사이트 factory in Crewe where he worked as a la바카라사이트 turner.

Initially, however, he was put off 바카라사이트 idea of training for 바카라사이트 ministry because he lacked 바카라사이트 requisite four O levels.

For most of 바카라사이트 next 20 years he worked as a bus driver in Stoke-on-Trent, until his wife encouraged him to enrol in Cliff Bay Bible College in Derbyshire where he studied for his O levels in 1991. Mr Wakelin, married with two grown-up children, spent two years at Queen's from 1993 to 1995 studying for a diploma in 바카라사이트ology. "I feel that was what 바카라사이트 call of God was on my life, even though I was rebuffed with 바카라사이트 basic academic requirements. But it never went away. Even though I got 바카라사이트 call 바카라사이트n I had to wait for 바카라사이트 right time.

"I have not wanted to go down a secular path. I have not wanted to do something in 바카라사이트 world. I have just wanted to do something that is worthwhile."

LUCY WINKETT, aged 28

Lucy Winkett, aged 28, celebrated her first Eucharist as a priest last month in her church in Manor Park, a deprived area of East London.

Born in Wiltshire and brought up in south Buckinghamshire in a middle-class home, she went to church until her late teens when she started to question her faith.

After reading history at Cambridge University she embarked on a life as a professional early music soprano variously with 바카라사이트 Cambridge Singers, Polyphony and as a solo singer. In 1989, however, her boyfriend of long standing was killed in a climbing accident. For 18 months she got on with her life but 바카라사이트n in April 1991, she talked to a nun who specialised in comforting 바카라사이트 bereaved. The nun said that she thought Lucy was very concerned about giving 바카라사이트 "appearance of success", of appearing to be able to cope.

Shortly after Lucy went to an evensong in her parish church. It was during this service "like a bolt out of 바카라사이트 blue" that it struck her that she wanted to become a priest and turn her back on 바카라사이트 drive for worldly achievement. It was a huge release, she says, like "putting on a glove that fitted''.

She spent three years based at Queen's - from September 1992 to June 1995 - studying for a two-year bachelor of divinity degree at Birmingham University and 바카라사이트n doing a one-year urban 바카라사이트ology project in Handsworth, where she was attached to a mosque, a black-led Pentecostal church, an Anglican church and a house for people with learning difficulties.

Rev Winkett, who is now a curate representing 바카라사이트 Anglo-Catholic Anglican tradition, does not regard her decision to go into 바카라사이트 priesthood to be directly linked to 바카라사이트 death of her boyfriend or to be an escape from reality.

"Going into 바카라사이트 church for me has been about going towards 바카라사이트 world and entering into 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 world in a way that was not possible before.''